| State Bank of Davis |
above: Bank Sign |
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above: Southwest Side Addition
above: Old meets New
above: South Elevation, Addition to Rear Left |
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For this issue, we've selected eplans "Cottage of the Year." You can find the plan at www.eplans.com Look for plan # HWEPL55448 or click on the picture of the house to take you directly to the site! |
Design Matters Home
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January is National Blood Donor Month! |
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Can I donate blood?
You will probably meet the medical requirements to donate blood if you are:
In good health
At least 17 years old (In some states, 16-year-olds may donate. There is no upper age limit.)
Weigh at least 110 pounds
What are some of the reasons for deferral?
Blood Pressure (high or low)
Body Piercing
Chagas' Disease
Cold or Flu
Hepatitis
HIV/AIDS
Infection
Some International Travel
Organ/Tissue Transplants
Pregnancy
Sexually Transmitted Disease
I'm taking medications. Can I still donate blood?
Many medications are acceptable. Consult your physician or ask your community blood center medical staff if you have questions about your eligibility to donate.
What if I have a tattoo or body piercing?
U.S. health advisers voted to continue a policy that requires people who have been pierced or tattooed to put off donating blood for a year after the procedure, but said those who have received acupuncture can safely give blood.
Will travel abroad make me ineligible to donate blood?
Travel to certain countries may prevent you from donating blood. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has strict policies in place to prevent the theoretical risk of spreading mad cow disease in the blood supply.
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Recipe of the Month |
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There's nothing as important as encouraging and supporting those who are coming after us. In the architecture business, a multi-year internship is required after completing formal education and before sitting for the architecture licensing exams. At the cf+a office we have long supported interns on their path to licensure and so from time to time we'll share information about our former interns and where they are now. But to start our look at young folks, here's a little piece about one of our young non-architecture friends.
This month's recipe is really a link to a blog that you might find interesting. Written by a young friend of cf+a, formerly of Shannon IL and now studying at University of California-Davis, the blog is chock full of interesting recipes, beautiful photographs and good food chat. Personally, I'm going for the Cinnamon Roll Cupcake recipe! Visit Brittany's blog at http://hestiasdisciple.blogspot.com and let me know what you think.
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State Bank of Davis New Addition Nearing Completion
Back in the early 1990's, the State Bank of Davis commissioned Christopher Fye, then a recently licensed Architect, to design their new banking facility located in Davis, Illinois. We were very pleased when they returned last year to ask us to help them expand their facility and make aesthetic and maintenance improvements to the existing building.
The new addition, with 1440 square feet per floor, is soon to open to the public, but here's a little sneak preview of what's inside. The main floor expands the loan department and contains six new offices. It features a skylighted cathedral ceiling in the lobby/reception area. The lower level has been finished for future office and employee needs and provides additional storage areas. There is also a connecting link from the outside to the existing community room so that it will still be available for use by the public.
The exterior of the addition will match the original building in materials and detailing and the entire facility will be handicapped accessible to better serve the bank's customers. The lower level exterior features a sloped sidewalk with new retaining walls.
While undertaking the new construction, some maintenance issues associated with the age of the building were also addressed including new energy-efficient air conditioning condensers, a new roof and an upgrade to the emergency power system.
The entire site has been re-landscaped - watch for flowering crabs and redbud trees, daylilies and coneflowers in seasons to come along with shade-loving hostas, rhododendrons and some prairie grasses too.
Substantial Completion of the construction is slated for the end of January. The official opening of the addition will be announced by bank officers.
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Featured Article
Design Matters
House Plan Critique
January 2010
A lovely cottage compound!
We always hear about how gracious is Southern hospitality. Certainly gracious comes to mind whenever we view house plans from the Southern Living collection at Eplans. This plan is no exception, with its elegant symmetry, expansive front porch, and lovely details.
Here's a house that would fit in many neighborhoods, from older established areas to newer subdivisions. It's a plan that fits well in a "new urbanism" subdivision, one in which attention is paid to how people live in a neighborhood, rather than just focusing on an individual house. True to the new urbanist philosophy, an alley at the back of the property is ideal so as to provide a place to construct a detached garage with walkways and lovely urban garden spots. Your lot will have to be larger than a standard residential lot - 120 x 120 would be minimum, and you'll see why when you view this plan at eplans.com. Be sure to view the photos of the constructed house - they're especially helpful for those of us who have difficulty translating flat plans into three-dimensional rooms.
The entrance into the large family/dining room gives a straight shot to a beautiful kitchen - in which the often messy sink area is nicely hidden from view of guests. One of the lovely features here is at the stairway - the second floor plan shows it, but take a look at the online photos of this house to see how beautiful is the open landing that sheds light on the alcove below.
The kitchen is laid out efficiently and is well-situated for access to both the screen porch for enjoying your summer morning coffee, and the adjacent laundry/pantry. Notice the added feature of "borrowed light" - those small windows in the wall between the kitchen and laundry will brighten even your heaviest washload days!
Upstairs, the layout is very nice, with good-sized bedrooms and closets and a nice "jack and jill" shared bath. This home features a nearby guest cottage attached by a screen porch complete with fireplace, and total separation of the master suite from the main house. For many of us, this separation may not be ideal - many parents like to be within earshot of their young children's bedrooms, a concern that may be lessened by the use of "baby monitors" so as to be alerted in the night. The master suite in itself is quite lovely - roomy, light and airy and very private. We might add a terrace at the back, accessed by a door in the vestibule, to create a little bit of outdoor peace and quiet for the parents (and a place for the hot tub!). And, since there's a large family room with no separate living room, this master suite provides the "away" space many adults require while raising their kids.
We love the screen porch and how it connects the guest cottage, which could also double as a home office, especially since it has its own private entrance. We would probably squeeze in a small kitchenette to allow guests to make a cup of tea and warm up a scone before bedtime. It could be placed near the small bathroom. We pondered for quite a while the use of the two "rooms" attached to the side of the guest cottage, especially since one can be accessed from the bathroom. We finally decided that they are storage sheds - handy for the lawn mower and garden tools, and handy for a bathroom break while working in the garden. It's a pretty long trek from the yard to the powder room in the house.
The layout of these small buildings really enhances the "cottage" feel of the design. Plan your site well, and you'll have ample opportunity to create a variety of gardens - a kitchen herb garden near the screen porch, a Zen garden near the master suite, veggies by the garage (which we would place at the back of the lot with pavers leading to the screen porch). But, here's one caveat - we're wondering about the mechanicals for the bedroom and guest room cottages. There's no locations shown in the plans for furnace, air conditioner and water heater. So, somewhere in those rooms you'd have to carve out space for mechanical systems. And, consider the added expense of three separate heating & cooling systems when considering the cost of construction for this home.
With its beautiful symmetry and varied use of exterior materials, this is a home that bespeaks gracious and comfortable living. You could even use this plan for a purpose-built bed and breakfast! We love it, and give it a 4! |
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Personalities Matter 
Personalities Matter, Process Matters, Attitude Matters, and Design Matters.
Most folks have heard their share of horror stories about building projects gone awry. Some hear tales of "prima donna" Architects or "tyrant" Contractors; sometimes tales of "impossible to satisfy" Owners. Much of what one hears is concocted from a few parts reality, some parts scare tactics, and a whole lot of fiction.
Have you ever wondered what distinguishes a "great" building project from a "lackluster" or even a bad project? In this office, we've pondered that over time, having known the full range of project experiences.
So we're wrapping up the State Bank of Davis addition project and as is our wont at project's end, we tend to review the ups and downs of the process. This project has been enjoyable, productive and successful from start to finish. From our perspective, here's why:
Design - The Owner, represented by State Bank's Ginny Dietmeier and Brent Myers, and their staff freely shared their space needs, concerns and desires with the Architect, Chris Fye, and in turn, Chris listened and incorporated their input into five separate design schemes; components of each made it into the final schematic design. The best design process is a "give and take" and showcases the true meaning of communication - speaking and listening, with each party really hearing what's being said and intended. Mutual respect fosters greater understanding of the goals and requirements of the Owner and appreciation of the expertise and talents of the Architect. The end result - spaces designed to function exactly as the Owner wishes, beautifully.
Bringing in the Contractor - Bids were invited, and after review with the Architect, the Owners awarded the contract to Visel Construction (815-443-2158) of Pearl City, IL. From the beginning, it was clear that Dave Visel and Chris Fye, working with Ginny and Brent, were committed to quality, timeliness and communication. Again, respect for the roles of each player - Owner, Architect and General Contractor - was demonstrated throughout the process. A working partnership had been formed with the goal of producing the highest quality work, on budget and on time.
Construction Observation - Owners are best served when the Architect is involved in the construction process from ground-breaking through grand opening. The Architect represents the Owner's best interests throughout the construction period. It is not unusual, however, for the relationship between Contractor and Architect to be adversarial, and for that relationship to worsen during construction, as the natural tension of personalities, beliefs, and contingencies come in to play. This project, however, avoided that breakdown. Communication was the major reason - twice monthly progress meetings were augmented by free exchange of ideas, concerns and questions between the Owner, Architect and Contractor. Glitches happen, questions arise, change orders occur. In this project, all were handled with professionalism and again, mutual respect for the knowledge and expertise each brought to the table. As each subcontractor or consultant was brought in to the process, that culture of professionalism allowed the project to continue to flow smoothly, with a clear chain of command and understanding of individual roles and responsibilities.
In the end, the project is one that both Chris and Dave can proudly display as examples of their work and their competence in working effectively to achieve the goals of the Owner. The State Bank of Davis has improved their ability to provide financial services to their customers while enhancing the environment for their employees. And all the players feel like winners at the end of the game! | |
Last Call
One might have the impression, reading our last few issues of Design Matters, that we design only custom homes. In reality the majority of our work has always been commercial - offices, community facilities, places of worship, schools, historic restoration and adaptive re-use. In 2009, less than Ten Percent of our design work was custom residential; the other 90% was comprised of commercial work with government contracts - municipalities, libraries, housing authorities, etc. - comprising the larger share. We also provide master planning services, building forensics and triage, and economic development consulting.
We design great houses, to be sure. But when you're looking to solve a vexing building problem, add on to your existing facility, renovate and refresh a historic structure, or construct a new building, give us a call. Now's a great time to design for spring and summer construction!
Christopher Fye and Associates
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